Remember, this is an in-depth CSP and needs to be studied with reference to all four key concepts: Language, Representation, Industries and Audience.
Daily Mirror notes
Language
AQA has selected the following pages as our Daily Mirror CSP pages:
Analyse these pages and look at which stories have been selected for the newspaper and how they are constructed for their audience.
Audience
The Daily Mirror audience is older with almost half the audience aged 65+. In terms of social class, most are in the C1, C2 DE social classes. They are likely to be in the Struggler, Resigned or Mainstream psychographic groups.
Blog tasks: Daily Mirror case study
Work through the following questions to cover the Language and Audience key concepts for the Daily Mirror. Language 1) Write the definition of the following key language for newspaper front pages: Masthead: Pug: Splash Head: Slogan: Dateline: Kicker: Byline: Standfirst: 2) How much does a copy of the Daily Mirror cost? 3) What are the main stories on the CSP edition of the Daily Mirror (see above)? 4) Why is the choice of news stories on the Mirror CSP front page typical of a tabloid newspaper? 5) What is the balance on the Daily Mirror front page between images, headlines and text? Audience 1) What is the target audience for the Daily Mirror? 2) Why does the Mirror front page story appeal to the Daily Mirror audience? 3) Why might a reader enjoy the Daily Mirror? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory to add detail to your answer. 4) Why are print newspapers generally read by older audiences? 5) How is the 'Wills and Harry royal rift' story on the double page spread constructed to appeal to Daily Mirror readers? Grade 8/9 extension tasks Read this Guardian column on the Mirror's struggles with covering Brexit. How did the Mirror suggest people vote in the EU referendum and how did many of its working class audience actually vote? Guardian Media critic Roy Greenslade writes about why tabloid newspapers like the Mirror are struggling to attract younger readers in this column. Make a note of some of the key statistics in this article and also what Greenslade thinks tabloids should do to stay relevant in the digital age. This column also has an excellent discussion of the Mirror's political stance which is ideal to grade 9 answers. You will get some lesson time to work on this case study but will need to complete it at home - due date on Google Classroom.
Remember, this is an in-depth CSP and needs to be studied with reference to all four key concepts: Language, Representation, Industries and Audience. Introduction to newspapers - notes
GLow Words
Left-wing (Socialist): in favour of social equality and reform. The Labour Party is considered left-wing and the Daily Mirror generally supports Labour and left-wing causes.
Right-wing (Conservative): prefer the traditional way things are and in favour of low taxes. The Conservative Party is considered right-wing and the Times generally supports the Conservatives and right-wing causes.
Agenda: issues brought to the attention of the people through news.
Elitist: for the good of a few people, usually the upper classes or most educated.
Political Bias: when an industry or media product supports a certain political view.
Hard news: information on topics like business, politics and international affairs.
Soft news: blurs line between information and entertainment so may be centred more on gossip, celebrities or lifestyle issues.
Tabloid: smaller, popular and tends to focus on sensational stories and softer news.
Broadsheet: larger, more niche and tends to focus on serious, harder news.
Historical, social and cultural context
The ‘Press’ is a collective term for the newspaper industry. The name comes from printing presses. Newspapers are still popular media products for audiences to get their news, be entertained and informed. There are a range of national (Daily Mail), regional (Birmingham Mail) and specialist newspapers (The Racing Post).
Whilst still popular, since the 1950s, there has been a gradual decline in newspaper sales due to the rise of TV ownership (and news programmes) and, more recently, the growth of digital news through websites and social media. The importance of a free press A free press implies that journalists (those that write for newspapers) and newspaper editors can edit content free of intervention from Government influence. More than a third of the world’s population live in countries where there is no press freedom. Journalists are often imprisoned if they disagree with the Government, social media channels are not allowed, non-democratic countries often control access to information and employ state-run news organizations.
Tabloids and broadsheets
There are generally two classifications of newspapers – tabloids and broadsheets.
Tabloids tend to be easier to read, feature shorter articles and include more photographs. They report on major news, but also include a lot of showbiz gossip, entertainment and sport. They tend to be the better sellers. Examples include The Sun and the Daily Mirror.
Broadsheet newspapers traditionally used to be larger (printed on ‘broad sheets’) although most are the same size as tabloids now. They tend to be more serious, have smaller fonts, more advanced use of language and less photography (although they have included more over the last 20 years to be more popular). They tend to have lower circulation figures than tabloids. Examples include the Times and the Daily Telegraph.
Introduction to Newspapers: blog task
Create a new blogpost called 'Introduction to Newspapers' and answer the following questions:
1) What type of news can you typically find in a tabloid newspaper?
2) What type of news can you typically find in a broadsheet newspaper?
3) If someone is left-wing, which political party are they likely to support? Which newspaper would they be likely to read?
4) If someone is right-wing, which political party are they likely to support? Which newspaper would they be likely to read?
5) Why has there been a decline in newspaper sales in the last 20 years?
6) Why is a free press important in a democracy like the UK?
The second blog task for Class covers the Audience and Industry key concepts.
You can find the notes from the lessons below and then simply scroll down to find the blog tasks you need to complete.
Audience
Unlike Doctor Who and more in line with Torchwood before it (which also debuted on BBC3), Class is aimed specifically at a young adult audience and contains sexual content, violence and language above the level allowed in Doctor Who. It was broadcast initially on BBC Three (online only) to poor audience figures and later broadcast on BBC One between 10.45pm and 11.15pm slots. When the programme was on BBC One it was aired at 11.30pm had an audience of 0.28 million, a share of 5.1% of total TV audience. Around 250,000 have accessed the episode on iPlayer Target audience
Some mainstream appeal as it is linked to the ‘Whoniverse’ (Doctor Who universe) but too niche perhaps for a mass audience?
The show tried to appeal to young adult audience by including sexual scenes, more violence and more daring representations. Why was this not effective?
References to popular culture (pop culture) has meant an appeal to a wider age range.
Demographics: A-E class as some complex plot points but also action and SFX that are easy to understand
More diverse representation regarding gender, race and sexuality.
Fans - the 'Whoniverse' reaction Watch this fan reaction video on Co-owner of a Lonely Heart from the Doctor Who YouTube channel:
Industries
Class failed to make an impact for the BBC, with some mixed reviews and poor viewing figures. Class failed to make the BBC iPlayer Top 20 in its first seven weeks, and failed to secure over 1m viewers at any point when repeated on BBC One. This was for a number of reasons:
iPlayer release only initially.
BBC One late showing (after 10.30 slots). Poor scheduling.
The show was axed after one series. Why was this?
No-one – not even the BBC – seemed entirely sure who the show was for. A teen-oriented drama with adult themes, spun off from a series intended (primarily) for children, the tone of Class was confused.
Creator Patrick Ness was baffled by the decision to air the series in double-bills, late at night, more than two months after its BBC Three debut.
It sorely lacked a big selling point. Clearly, spinning itself off from Doctor Who was not enough to guarantee success.
Class distribution Media distribution is a term for the way the product reaches audiences. In the case of Class it was originally distributed (shown) online only on BBC Three. It was then shown weeks later in a late night slot “the graveyard slot” on BBC One. It was also shown on BBC America where it was slightly more popular. In America, the episodes were paired with Doctor Who episodes to create a ‘Whoinverse’ double bill.
Overall, the confused distribution model was almost certainly part of its downfall. Class marketing and promotion As Class was aimed at an older audience, there was a clear shift in the way it was marketed from traditional Doctor Who episodes (on a Saturday early evening slot).
Online marketing: Strong web presence. Highly interactive. Lots of video clips, interviews, fan art and fiction. Trying to build brand loyalty BUT criticised for not making more of its link to Doctor Who. Teaser trailer: Longer trailer:
BBC3 focus What is BBC Three and how does it fit into the profile of the BBC remit?
BBC Three launched as a TV channel in 2003 and its remit was to provide "innovative" programming to a target audience of viewers between 16 and 34 years old:
“The remit of BBC Three is to bring younger audiences to high quality public service broadcasting through a mixed-genre schedule of innovative UK content featuring new UK talent. The channel should use the full range of digital platforms to deliver its content and to build an interactive relationship with its audience. The channel's target audience is 16–34-year-olds.”
Until February 2016, BBC Three aired as a freeview TV channel. However, as a result of planned £100 million budget cut across the BBC, it was proposed that BBC Three be discontinued as a television service, and be converted to online only. The BBC recognised that younger people may watch TV at different times, on different devices using different services (iPlayer, YouTube, Netflix, etc) due to the rise of streaming and on-demand services.
BBC3’s content budget was slashed from £85m to £30m, with around £10m now spent on comedy, £10m on serious factual, £3m for drama and the rest on new types of content, such as short-form YouTube videos.
Why the change? There were changes to its audience’s viewing habits. Less than 50% of the video consumed by 16-24 year olds is now via ‘live’ TV (back in 2003 it was 100%), while over 90% of them now own a smartphone and have at least one social media account.
BBC: Industry notes reminder
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a public service organisation and the oldest national broadcaster and the biggest in terms of employees [over 20,000]. It is different from other TV broadcasters in that funding comes from us all as BBC licence fee payers whereas other channels rely on advertising and sponsorship. The BBC has 3 key purposes: To Inform, Educate & Entertain. This means:
To provide information (that is supposed to be balanced)
To support learning for people of all ages
To produce creative output
To have diverse content (such as with its representations)
To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world
Where does Class fit into these objectives and the BBC mission statement? BBC regulation reminder
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has a board of governing members and is independent of government intervention. This means that it can produce content free impartially.
Since 2017, The BBC is now regulated by OfCOM (the Office of Communications). OfCOM oversees all media channels and produces a code of conduct that all media channels must follow or have their licence to make content removed and/or be fined heavily.
This includes suitable programmes before the 9pm watershed and various other quality standards.
Class: Audience and Industry blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'Class: Audience and Industry blog tasks' and answer the following questions:
Audience
1) What were the viewing figures for Class and why do you think it did so badly? 2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Class? 3) What audience pleasures are offered by Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.
Personal Identity:
Personal Relationships: Diversion (Escapism): Surveillance (Information / Facts): 4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? 5) How did fans in the 'Whoniverse' (also known as 'Whovians') react to Class? Watch the fan reaction video (and read the YouTube comments) embedded above or check the comments in the extension articles below to help with this. Industries 1) What was the objective of BBC3 when it was launched? 2) Why did BBC3 go online-only in February 2016? 3) How does Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'? 4) How did the distribution of Class contribute to the failure of the show with audiences? 5) What advertising and marketing was used to try and promote Class to an audience? Why do you think this wasn't very successful? Comparison: An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart 1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2016 Class (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)? 2) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of the science-fiction genre? 3) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of how they meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain? 4) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows? 5) What similarities and differences can you find in terms of the audience pleasures for An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Grade 8/9 extension tasks and reading Read this Digital Spy feature on why Class was cancelled after only one series. Do you agree with its criticisms regarding scheduling, audience and character development? This Guardian review of Class is much more positive - but the comments 'below the line' (BTL) are largely critical. Do you agree with the original review or the comments - and why? Read this Den of Geek fan review of Co-owner of a Lonely Heart. Do you agree with the praise and criticism in it and why? Finally, read this Indiewire feature on Class. It contains plenty of references to other films and TV shows (intertextuality) - what popular culture references can you find in this article?
Your due date for this second Class blog task will be set on Google Classroom.
